Teacher-Librarians Go On Strike

Staff -- School Library Journal, 12/1/1997

Instead of walking into their schools last month, Ontario teacher-librarians were walking the picket line. All together, some 126,000 Ontario teachers walked off the job for 10 days to protest a massive overhaul of their education system. The legislation known as Bill 160 would shift major funding and decision-making authority from local school boards to the provincial government. For instance, as originally introduced, it gave the cabinet authority to designate certain teaching jobs -- those performed by teacher-librarians, for instance -- as not requiring certified staff. By the end of the strike, the government had modified or taken out certain provisions objectionable to the unions, such as replacing teachers with non-certified staff. But the Conservative majority made it likely Bill 160 would pass largely intact. Because it will cut funding, teacher-librarians remain fearful that they will be forced back into the classroom.